NEW YORK CITY – Recognized for his outstanding sophomore season at the University of Pennsylvania, running back Malachi Hosley became the 11th player in program history to be named Ivy League Player of the Year and the first to win Offensive Player of the Year (since the award was established in 2011) on Monday afternoon.
 
The presentation of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup took place at the iconic Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center, co-hosted by the Ivy League and the National Football Foundation (NFF). ESPN broadcaster Rece Davis (SportsCenter anchor, College GameDay host) served as the master of ceremonies.
 
Hosley is Penn's second consecutive winner of the Bushnell Cup, following defensive lineman Joey Slackman in 2023. It's just the second time in program history that the Quakers claimed back-to-back Player of the Year awards and first time since 1985 (Tom Gilmore) and 1986 (Rich Comizio). It also marks the third player under the George A. Munger head coach Ray Priore to win the Bushnell Cup, joining Slackman and Tyler Drake (2015).
 
Hosley was unanimously named a first-team All-Ivy selection in 2024 after leading the Ancient Eight in all rushing categories including carries (191), yards (1,192), touchdowns (9), yards per carry (6.2), and yards per game (119.2). His 1,192 yards were 332 more than the second-place tailback (Columbia's Joey Giorgi, 860). The yardage is also the eighth-most by a Penn running back in program history, most since Sam Mathews in 2003 (1,266).
 
After the conclusion of the Ivy League's final weekend of games, he ranked fourth in FCS football in rushing yards per game, 11th in total rushing yards, 13th in all-purpose yards per game (128.10) and 16th in yards per carry. Hosley had seven 100-or-more rushing yard games—just the 11th player in Ancient Eight history to achieve the feat—after four in 2023 and his nine TDs are the most since Karekin Brooks in 2019.
 
Hosley's signature performance of the year came at Cornell, rushing for 192 yards and two touchdowns as the Quakers scored their most points (67) since 1942 in a 67-49 shootout victory.

"It's truly a blessing to receive this honor," said Hosley. "But this award is not just for me, it's also for my teammates that aren't here today. And it's for the coaching staff as well for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to play at Penn." 

Hosley was voted Player of the Year over Cornell QB Jameson Wang and Harvard WR Cooper Barkate. Dartmouth DL Ejike Adele won the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Presented annually since 1970, The Asa S. Bushnell Cup honors its namesake, a 1921 Princeton alumnus and the commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference from 1938 to 1970. The Bushnell Cup is awarded by a vote of the Ivy League's eight head football coaches to the players who display outstanding qualities of leadership, competitive spirit, contribution to the team and accomplishments on the field.
 
From 1970 to 2010, the Bushnell Cup recognized an Ivy League Player of the Year (or co-Players of the Year if there was a tie in voting). Beginning with the 2010 season, the award was presented as part of the festivities surrounding the NFF Annual Awards Dinner with four finalists named a week prior to the presentation. Beginning with the 2011 season, the award began recognizing Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, honoring each as a recipient of the Bushnell Cup. Now, three offensive finalists and three defensive finalists are named, with the Players of the Year unveiled at the presentation.
 
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